National Latino AIDS Awareness Day a Success

The District of Columbia had two great events for National Latino AIDS Awareness Day. In the morning, a coalition of groups spearheaded by La Clinica Del Pueblo, organized a community forum on HIV/AIDS in the Latino Community in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. In addition to hearing some compelling stories from people living with HIV, representatives were on hand from the Departments of Health in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. Dr. Gregg Pane and Dr. Shannon Hader represented the DC Department of Health.

Then in the afternoon, we had a spanish-language presentation on HIV Vaccine Research. Jeff Stanton (pictured left), from the Academy for Educational Development, discussed community involvement in HIV Vaccine Research. Pedro Goicochea, from IMPACTA Peru, discussed HIV Vaccine Research in Peru; and Dr. Barney Graham, from the Vaccine Research Center, discussed HIV Vaccine Research here in DC.

To learn more about National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, visit www.nlaad.org. You can also see a collection of press releases and media coverage on NLAAD right here. One that I didn't notice on this list, check out Hillary Clinton's Statement on National Latino AIDS Awareness Day.

Thanks to everyone who made National Latino AIDS Awareness Day a success in DC. To see pictures from our DC National Latino AIDS Awareness day events, click here

Plans Shaping Up for Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in DC

Plans are shaping up for National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which takes place on October 15th.

Today at 10:00 AM on the Hill, Congresswoman Hilda Solis, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, and numerous advocates will gather to discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS in Latino/Hispanic communities and to declare an HIV/AIDS state of emergency. (at the U.S. Capitol Building, Room HC-6, Washington, D.C.. Entrance is on the House side of the Capitol on Independence Avenue).

Communities all across the country will be encouraged to plan events for National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Here in DC, we've already got two events in the works for October 15th.

First off, there will be a Community Forum on HIV/AIDS in the Latino Community at the All Souls Unitarian Church organized by La Clinica Del Pueblo and a coalition of local groups. The event is tentatively scheduled to begin around 10:00 AM. I will give you more details as they come in.

Second, at 2:30 PM there will be a Spanish-language presentation on HIV Vaccine Research. There is an amazing international lineup for this event. Our speakers are

• Pedro Goicochea, Impacta Peru
• Dr. Barney Graham, Vaccine Research Center, NIH, NIAID
• Jeff Stanton, Academy for Educational Development.

Pedro and Jeff will give their presentations directly in Spanish, and Barney will give his presentation in Spanish with the assistance of a translater. So this is an amazing opportunity for Spanish-speaking folks to get any questions they might have about HIV vaccine research answered in Spanish. I hope to have a flyer soon to share with you for this event. This event takes place at the DC CARE Consortium, 1156 15th Street NW, and light refreshments will be provided. Sponsors include the Vineeta Foundation, Capital Area Vaccine Effort, and the Vaccine Research Center.

I will post updates as they come in for both events on this page

Job Opportunities: HIPS, Prevention Works, and La Clinica Del Pueblo

Here are some recent job postings of interest. Please contact the agencies directly.

HIPS Program Administration Assistant: HIPS Program Administration Assistant provides administrative and logistical support to the Executive Director and Program Directors. The Program Administration Assistant provides general bookkeeping to the organization and ensures HIPS programs are well prepared to meet the needs of HIPS clients and stakeholders. Find out more at www.hips.org.

Pevention Works Clinical Supervisor: The Clinical Supervisor is responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of the FOCUS drug treatment adherence program for low-income residents of the District of Columbia who are current or former drug users, living with HIV infection, and struggling with their HIV care and/or treatment regimen. Find out more here.

La Clinica HIV Prevention Conselor (Bilingual): This position will conduct HIV prevention counseling, testing, and referrals in the District of Columbia. Find out more information here.

Darby Hickey Feature Article in CHAMP Newsletter

Local activist Darby Hickey has a great article in this month's CHAMP Newsletter. For those who don't know, CHAMP (Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project) is a very cool national project headed up by Julie Davids, which draws connections between HIV/AIDS, human rights, and struggles for social and economic justice.

Darbey writes about the lives of sex workers in DC and their efforts to organize, including efforts of local organizations like HIPS, La Clinica Del Pueblo, and Different Avenues.

click here to download the newsletter. Darby's article starts on page three.

La Clinica Del Pueblo Job Openings

La Clinica Del Pueblo has three job openings. They are looking for a Full Time Transgender Program Coordinator, a Full Time Youth Mpowerment Program Coordinator, and a Patients Accounts Clerks.

Check out the links above to find out more about these jobs. La Clinica Del Pueblo provides free, culturally appropriate health services in the Latino community.

Washington Grantmakers

This announcement comes from the Washington Grantmakers Blog:

The Washington AIDS Partnership, a project of Washington Grantmakers, recently announced a significant investment of national funding in the Washington, D.C. region. The National AIDS Fund and Johnson & Johnson are supporting a second set of grants to address the needs of women and girls susceptible to contracting HIV/AIDS. Of the nine grants announced, two grants totaling $318,000 will go to the Washington AIDS Partnership on behalf of Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive and La Clinica del Pueblo, two of the Partnership’s long-time grantees. The “GENERATIONS II: Strengthening Women and Families Affected by HIV/AIDS” grants go to support community-based organizations that are developing innovative interventions or adapting proven prevention models for specific populations of women and girls at high-risk for infection.

HIV/AIDS Job Opportunities in DC

Is it time to look for a new job? There are several interesting opportunities at local and national HIV/AIDS organizations in DC. Here is a peak.

La Clinica Del Pueblo has three job openings for folks who are bilingual. They are looking for a Housing Case Manager. They're also looking for a Program Manager and a Program Coordinator to work on CDC funded prevention programs.

The Women's Collective is seeking a Policy Advocate to work on Microbicide Research Advocacy. Don't know what a microbicide is? Then click here.

The National AIDS Fund is seeking a Program Coordinator to provide leadership for special initiatives, primarily a new philanthropic initiative focused on HIV/AIDS and the criminal justice system.

AED is seeking a Program Manager who will be responsible for supporting the management and implementation of the NIH HIV Vaccine Research Education Initiative (NHVREI).

Get working on those resumes!